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small business | January 31, 2017

Kealy conducts small business survey

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy MP is surveying businesses across the electorate to gain a greater understanding of local issues and challenges that are important to business owners and operators.

“Understanding the views and challenges faced by local businesses is crucial to the future wealth and sustainability of our region,” Ms Kealy said.

“Two thousand surveys were posted out late last year and already the responses are showing overwhelming opposition to Daniel Andrew’s AFL Grand Final Parade Public Holiday.

“Survey responses are again confirming that the introduction of the AFL parade public holiday has come at a huge cost to local businesses with many forced to shut their doors, cut staff or operate at a loss,” she said.

The Andrews Labor Government's own assessment of its Grand Final Parade Public Holiday found it would cost Victoria as much as $898 million per year.

“Some businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector benefit from a potential increase in trade due to the public holiday, but the large majority of our local businesses suffer,” Ms Kealy said.

“The Andrews Labor Government should be creating new jobs in rural and regional Victoria, but instead it’s making life harder for regional businesses and causing casual workers to lose their shifts.

“The unfunded public holiday is a disaster for hospitals and aged care facilities who care for some of the most vulnerable in our communities and they now have to sustain severe cost increases with no way to recoup this.

“In regional Victoria we rely on small and medium sized businesses to provide the majority of jobs for our local families and young people.

“The Liberal-National Coalition is committed to supporting small business in regional Victoria.

“I encourage anyone who has not yet responded to my business survey to please do so as it is not too late,” she said.

To request a copy of Emma Kealy’s business survey email [email protected].